Oar



June 2, l 925. 1,540,695

J. HOWARD OAR Filed May 5. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 2, 1925. I1,540,695 J. G. HOWARD v OAR Filed May 5, 1924 s sheets-sheet ,2

Patented June 2,1925.

UN D- s'rAT-Es Q gonncaoaeanowaan; or m m jmamp;

OAR. f '1 Application filed May 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GEORGE .How- ARD, of 56 Victor Road, AndoverRoad, Holloway, London, N. 7., a subject of the King of England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Oars, of which the iollowing isa specification. 7

i This invention relates to a form of oar for a rowing boat which maybeoperated readily by the oarsman when facing in the direction in whichthe boat is beingrowed.

According to the'present invention an oar comprises a blade portion anda handle portion which are connected so that when the handle is movedforward the blade also moves forward and when the handle is movedbackward the blade moves backward. Conveniently the blade and the handletake the form of two interconnected levers pivotally supported by acarrier so as to swung up or down on an axis transverse to the generaldirectionof theoar to'impart rising and dipping movement to the oar. Inthis way the reaction at the r'owlock, which differs from that of anordinary oar in that it is mainly a torque between the carrier and theboat, is satisfactorily met by the same means which provide forthe-rising and falling of the oar. f It is desirable that featheringshould be'providedyfor, but owing to the relative movement of the bladeand handle portions,

they are not in linewith one another except momentarily at aparticularposition of the oar. To accomplish the end in view the blade and handlemay be mounted to rotate about their own. axes in cradles pivoted to thecarrier, and the blade and handle may :be interconnected by gearingsuch, that feathering movelnents'impar-ted to the handle are copied bythe blade.f Thesense of the movement should be reversed owing to thereversal of the direction of swing of the blade.

The accompanying drawings illustrate ings" O for the shafts. havetoothed segmental portions C C at 1924; Serial no. 711,248,}

iway ofexample constructions according to the invention; 3 7 l Fig. l isa sideelevatiomhalf in section of one construction of oar, the ends'ofthe handle and bladebeing broken away;

Fig.7 2is a plan of the same partly broken awayto show thegearirig,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation o struction;

Fig is'a vertical section through 'athird construction; l

Fig. 5 .is a detail sideelevation of the frame shown in Fig. 4; and Fig.6 is a plain of the underside of the same. '7

Figs. '7 and 8 are plan and elevation alternative construction.

Like reference characters parts in all the figures.

of an prises'ia-ihandleportion A in the form'ofga light meta-lshafthavin'g a suitable grip at its free end (not shown), and abla'depo'r tion B the outer end'ofwhich is flattened and shaped like anordinary oar. The handleA is'sup-ported in a cradleG and the "Referringto liigs. land 2, ftheoar com f ;anothe1' conindicate like blade B in asimilarncradle C, andthe it cradles are'pivoted at C andC respectivelyon a. carrier D. The cradles G and,

C are light metal frames having cross mem-- bers C which carr y thepivot pins G G and side members which extend from the ends of the crossmembers on each-side of the shafts Aand Band converge on bear- Thecradles also their .adjacentends which intermesh, The handle portion Aextends through the cross member 'C ofthe'cradle O and car'riesa mitr'ewheel E located in the space between the segment- C and thejcr'ossmember Gt,

The 'mltljf wheel E meshes with a second mitre wheel E5 concentricwiththe, pivot pin C spur wheel-E ofthe same ra dius as the segment 'G"isxj onrnalled freely wheel E'. Thus anyrotat-ion of the handle portionA- its cradlewill' be transmitted by the; mitre wheels 1 1E and E i tothe spur 'wheel E The wheel E lfwill also rock to and 'fro'" withthe'movementsof the; cradle V (Lthe two movements being superimposed;

The blade portion B also'extends throl igh carries "a mitrei wheel 7 E,but this wheel is upon the pivot pin (l and carries the mitre mechanismdescribed to protect it.

located in the side of the cross member C which is remote from thesegment C of the cradle. The mitre wheel E meshes with a mitre wheel E*carried upon aspur wheel E of the same radius as the segment 0 The wheelE is jo urna'lledto' turnfreely' upon the pin 0 like the wheel E uponthe pin G together and thus any rotation of the handle portion A isreproduced by a corresponding rotation of the blade portion 13. Owinghowever tothe wheel E being on the opposite side of'the cross member Cfrom the segment c whereas the wheel E is in the same side of its crossmember C as the segmentC, the rotation of the blade is reversed a Thearm D one plate is received between the arms D of the other and. lockedin place. The arms D each carry a'pivot pin-D. The two pivot pins D arein line with one another and their axis is transverse to the generaldirection of the oar but lies inor parallel to the plane of theirmovements. The'pivot pins D permit rising and "falling movements oftheroar. hen the'oar is in use they are suitably supported by a bracketorrowlock designed to'iit them, which is fixed onto the side of theboat.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 3 is identical with that justdescribed with-f he exception thatthe segment-s C, C are omitted. Inthis case not only the feather ingjniotion but also the swinging motionis.

transmitted from the handle, to the blade by thespur whecls 1E Todo'this the oarsman must hold the handleirom rotation during the swingbyhis own muscular force. Figqt shows a constructionidenticalv with thatof Figs. 1 and-2 astoits main-working parts. -.The "carrier D however isin this case formed i-n a single piece as shown in detail in -Fi-gs. 5and 6. .To -ipermit of assembly of the mechanism within the carrierthere are remoyable bushes LE to receive .the pins- C C -The distance.sleevesjG which surroundtheglower part of the pins- ,C Cbelpwthejcradles C C" are split, and either hi- 'iee s a he-b c p sy- Ifl1ingecl t hey must be provided with some foam Qtt S en he n shown cjgoassemble this construction, the cradle una-ts jar.e. afirst puttogether with the; spur The spur wheels and E mesh mains to put the thatthe pin C (foi-"exan1ple) can be en- ,tered in the hole for the bush Fwhile the pin is on the slant as in the drawing, can

be broughtunder the hole for it in the up per plate D next, and can thenbe passed up through that. plate far enough for the lower end of thepinto be well above the inside otthe plate I). The bush is then put inplace, the spur wheelpE' and initre wheel E are positioned below the endof the pinC and the pin .is passed down through thein into the bush. -Itonly resplit distance sleeve G in place.

fln order to increase the clearance for assembling, the plate D may behollowed out over the mitre wheel E or E as shown in dotted lines at Hin Fig. 5.

The. construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is adopted-toavoid making aspecial con struction for the holes for the pivots. It has the t'urtheradvantage of being extremely rigid. Thepieces 1 ,1 and L are madepreferably in one. the clearance-between lit-and if being slightly lessthan that shown between the corresponding parts in Figs. 1 and 2. Thepiece l1. has two slots "Lt at'opposite' ends and on either side of.theslotsis a tapped screw hole 1.

W'ith this construction the vertical members are inserted in their pivotholes at one end and have the pivot pins projecting attheother endthrough the slots L The parts being thns'asseinbled, an outer plate 0with two pivot holes 0. and ,tour screw holesP isplaced in position, thepositioning of the holes 0 and? being carefully chosen in relation toone another. lVith this construction, this dcvice has all the advantageof a unit construction. it

Having nowparticularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in. what manner the same-is to be performed, I declarethat what I claim is I 1. In an; oar the combination of a handleportion,a blade-portion, cradles in which the diandlei and blade portions arecarried and rotatably mounted so asto turn about their own axes, ;acarrier upon which the cradles arepivoted so that-handle and blade canswing forwardly and rearwardly, means interconnecting the cradles sothat when the handle is swung forward the blade is swung forwardly also,a; toothed gear mounted co- .aXially withlthe pivot of each cradle toirotate relatively thereto sai d gears being operatively connectedtogether, i and vfurther toothed gears connecting each said gear withthe handle and blade respectively, substantially as and for thepurposegsetforth.

2. In an oar the combinationof ahandleportion, a blade-portion, cradlesin which the handle and blade portions are carried and rotatably mountedso as to turn about their own axesya carrier upon which the cradlesareplvoted so that handle and blade can swing forwardly and-rearwardly,fneans interconnecting the cradles so thatwhen the handle is swungforward the blade is swung forwardly also, a toothed gear mountedcoaxially-with the pivot of eachcradle to rotate relatively thereto,said gears being operatively connected together, toothed bevel wheelsupon each said gear and toothed bevel wheels which mesh with thefirstsaid bevel wheelsupon the. handle and blade, substantially as and torthepurpose set forth,

31111 an oar the combination of ahandle portion, ablade-portion, acarrier, cradles in the form of cross-members pivoted upon the carrierwith stays extending: froin the ends thereof to outer bearings, thehandle and blade portions being rotatably supported in the cradles so asto turn about their own .axes in the cross1ne1nbers and the outerbearings, means interconnecting the cradles'so that when the handle isswung forward the blade is swung forwardly also,

a toothedgeardnounted coaxially with the" pivotot each cradlejto rotaterelatively thereto, said gears belng operatively connected together, andfurther toothed gears connecting each said gear with the handle andblade respectively, substantially as and for the purposeset forth." 1

, 4c. In an'oar the combination of a handleportion,blade-portion, acarrier, cradles in the form of cross-members pivoted upon the carrierwith'stays extending from the ends thereof to outer bearings, the handleand blade portions being rotatably, supported inthe cradles so as toturn about their own axes in the 'cross-meinbersand the outer bearings,arc-shaped gear-segments support-- ed by the cross-members ofthe cradlesand in ineshwith one another so that whenthe handle is swung forward theblade is swung i forwardly also, a toothedgear mounted;co

axially with thepivot of each cradle-to 6 rotate relativelythereto, saidgears being operati vely connected together, and further toothed gearsconnectlng each sald' gear with v the handle and blade respectively,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5; In an car the combination of a handle; portion, blade-portion, acarrier, cradles in the form of cross nemberspivoted upon.

the carrier with stays extending from the ported in the cradles'so as toturnabout .ends thereof to outer bearings, the"l1andle V and bladeportions being rotatably suptheir own axes inthe cross-members and theouter bearlngs, means interconnect ng the cradles so that whenthehandleis swung forward the blade is swung forwardlyalso, a toothed gearnounted'coaxially with the pivot of each .cradle'to rotate relativelythereto, said gears being operatively con i- 1' nected together, toothedbevel: wheels upon each said gear and toothed bevel wheels which meshwith the first said bevel wheels upon the handle and blade,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an oarzthe combination of a handle 7 portion, a blade-portion, acarrier, cradles in the form ofcrossrnernbers plvoted upon the carrierwith stays extendlng from the ends thereof to outer bearings, thehandleand blade" portions being rotatably: supported inthe cradles so asto turn about their own bearings, portedby the cross-membersof'thecradlies and in mesh with one another 1 so that when the handle isswung forward'the blade'is swung'forwardly also, a toothed gear1n1ount80 axes in the cross-members and theouter arc-shaped gear-segments sup:

ed coaxially with the-pivot oteach' cradle to rotate relatively thereto,said gears being op'eratively'connected together, toothed bevel wheelsupon each said gear" and toothed wheels which ineshwith the firstsaidbevel I tially as and for the purpose set forth.

p In a testimony vwhereof I aflix my signature.

wheels upon the handle and blade,substan was enonen nowARD;

